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A London Apprentice
A LONDON APPRENTICE is a fast-moving, sometimes bawdy, story set in 1726.
The underbelly of London is dramatic, with eccentric and theatrical characters creating situations of surprise and adventure.
Innocent Fanny Tomlinson, becomes destitute and homeless when her mother dies. Her only relative is Aunt Marie in London, to whom she will apprentice. Leaving all that is familiar, her first encounter of the city is an execution at Tyburn. Arriving safely at the Swan Inn, she is soon abducted into the dangerous underworld of eighteenth-century London. However, she is befriended by sideshow performers.
Fanny is intelligent, but to survive she must absorb the energy of London. With every step towards her desire for independence, events happen that challenge her principles. Will her association with villains and outcasts destroy her or make her stronger?
Unknown to Fanny, she carries a secret, which will only be revealed if she is worthy.
From slum garrets, gaudy brothels and molly houses to the bewitching Theatre Royal, Fanny collects colourful friends and acquaintances, whose actions could teach her independence. Will she be brave enough to become a true citizen of London?
The eighteenth-century was a different world. Life for a vulnerable young woman was very precarious, having to face situations that today are unacceptable. However, the dangers Fanny encounters still remain relevant in the twenty-first century.
*You can follow Fanny’s footsteps by studying John Roche’s London map of 1746*
Audiobook out now!
The underbelly of London is dramatic, with eccentric and theatrical characters creating situations of surprise and adventure.
Innocent Fanny Tomlinson, becomes destitute and homeless when her mother dies. Her only relative is Aunt Marie in London, to whom she will apprentice. Leaving all that is familiar, her first encounter of the city is an execution at Tyburn. Arriving safely at the Swan Inn, she is soon abducted into the dangerous underworld of eighteenth-century London. However, she is befriended by sideshow performers.
Fanny is intelligent, but to survive she must absorb the energy of London. With every step towards her desire for independence, events happen that challenge her principles. Will her association with villains and outcasts destroy her or make her stronger?
Unknown to Fanny, she carries a secret, which will only be revealed if she is worthy.
From slum garrets, gaudy brothels and molly houses to the bewitching Theatre Royal, Fanny collects colourful friends and acquaintances, whose actions could teach her independence. Will she be brave enough to become a true citizen of London?
The eighteenth-century was a different world. Life for a vulnerable young woman was very precarious, having to face situations that today are unacceptable. However, the dangers Fanny encounters still remain relevant in the twenty-first century.
*You can follow Fanny’s footsteps by studying John Roche’s London map of 1746*
Audiobook out now!
415 pages, Paperback
First published April 10, 2019
4 people want to read
About the author
Judy Graham
1 book1 followerI'm not so good talking about myself when my mind is full of more fascinating characters. That was why A LONDON APPRENTICE had to be written. All those men and women squatting in my head, demanding to be created through words. I've met them all. Really. Good and bad. And this is how:
I can trace my family back five hundred years to living and working on the wharves below St Paul's, before the great fire of 1666. London is in my bones. As a child, I met colourful and eccentric people amongst the blackened terraces of the East End: factory girls bantering with the costers of Chrisp St market, dockers who carried anonymous brown paper packages under their arms and soft shoe buskers ready to sand the pavements of the West End.
My father was a tallyman in Poplar, and he taught me to treat everybody the same, always with respect, until they no longer deserved it. My family settled east along the river Thames, but I still worked in the city. From modelling in Mayfair salons to taking patterns to the schmutter houses in Bow, from dressing photographers sets in Battersea to interior design in Kensington, I've met the gamut of London citizens. I've drunk pints in pubs with theatre crews and sipped champagne in palaces with Royalty. I love them all.
I wanted to write a book, how an actor reads a script. The words and dialogue instantly creating pictures in the mind. The action and connection between characters accelerating the plot forward. I hope A LONDON APPRENTICE is an insight into this practice.
My genre is fast-moving historical fiction, which I hope is easy to read, about accessible characters who face predicaments that remain relevant today. Nothing really changes, only the time and setting.
My stories are wrapped up in technicolour locations and the dramatis personae are dynamic and memorable, in homage to my time as an actress in the West End.
When not writing, I paint and print whilst still living in the greatest city in the world. London.
Please join me on my Facebook page:
@judygrahamwrite
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/judygrahamwriter
and web page:
alondonapprentice.com
I can trace my family back five hundred years to living and working on the wharves below St Paul's, before the great fire of 1666. London is in my bones. As a child, I met colourful and eccentric people amongst the blackened terraces of the East End: factory girls bantering with the costers of Chrisp St market, dockers who carried anonymous brown paper packages under their arms and soft shoe buskers ready to sand the pavements of the West End.
My father was a tallyman in Poplar, and he taught me to treat everybody the same, always with respect, until they no longer deserved it. My family settled east along the river Thames, but I still worked in the city. From modelling in Mayfair salons to taking patterns to the schmutter houses in Bow, from dressing photographers sets in Battersea to interior design in Kensington, I've met the gamut of London citizens. I've drunk pints in pubs with theatre crews and sipped champagne in palaces with Royalty. I love them all.
I wanted to write a book, how an actor reads a script. The words and dialogue instantly creating pictures in the mind. The action and connection between characters accelerating the plot forward. I hope A LONDON APPRENTICE is an insight into this practice.
My genre is fast-moving historical fiction, which I hope is easy to read, about accessible characters who face predicaments that remain relevant today. Nothing really changes, only the time and setting.
My stories are wrapped up in technicolour locations and the dramatis personae are dynamic and memorable, in homage to my time as an actress in the West End.
When not writing, I paint and print whilst still living in the greatest city in the world. London.
Please join me on my Facebook page:
@judygrahamwrite
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/judygrahamwriter
and web page:
alondonapprentice.com
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 23, 2019
A London Apprentice is an exciting Georgian-era romp, part bildungsroman, part historical romance. Innocent, orphaned Fanny Tomlinson must navigate the pitfalls of London to make her way in the world. She encounters bandits, a circus troupe, vice dens and molly houses along the way. The pacey plot keeps you hooked while immersing the reader in the sights, sounds and smells of 18th century London. Even the minor characters leap off the page, and I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes depictions of life at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The ending makes me think there may be a sequel--I hope there is! The versatile voice work (I listened to the audiobook) brings the cast of characters to life and is a joy to listen to. It has been the perfect escape from 21st century London life!
September 10, 2019
This is the author's debut novel and a taster of what I hope is to come from her pen. She has an easy writing style and has served up a delicious blend of characters in this zesty and somewhat saucy jaunt through eighteenth century London. If you enjoy a good bodice-ripping drama with a twist or two then you will enjoy reading this novel. I look forward to future books from this author.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews